Bach Little Fugue (G Min.) on Rockefeller Chapel Organ

[MercuryIcePrincess]

The guy that turns the page isn't getting enough recognition.

[Organsk8er]

I love this organ. She plays this piece perfectly for this instrument. Nice and romantic.

[ebufford1]

I loved it! -especially when she kicked it that double foot bass!!!

[MrMcompagno]

that was legit

[DiegoLiger]

Good tempo, nice and crisp. I was taught to play this slowly - about this tempo - and with a very simply, clear registration...perhaps Stop Diapason, Principal, FIfteenth. Pedal Bourdon, Flute and Fagotto. Making everything is clear and can be heard. So often this is played far too quickly and with as many stops as possible - on version I heard even used the Tuba!!!

[toftube100]

Ans she was 21!

[sammyashour]

I bet she's amazing in bed.

[tomoka404]

no passion=no music

[jerjoe60]

What organ was this palyed on?

[lamepiemujer]

Wheter she plays the organ or the piano, My god, she is not only an amazing player but her feet on those pedals are just so gorgeous!

[gtran7]

Yes, this is the far most decent one I've yet found. I think the females plays better than the males on this piece. They got grace, not crazy fast macho ego like the men playing The Fugue. She's great, but towards the end still not that good with the layering clarity.

[hwoods01]

@gtran7 I totally agree. With most players (men) it becomes a footrace too see who can get to the last note the quickest and I miss out out on 'hearing the notes' and the dynamic & contrasting harmony of the chords.. Thats why I love this video, its at a speed best described as "Just Right"..

[ssureshot]

When playing an instrument like this one you have to play the room as part of the instrument. Very good job!

[APerfectSystem]

Most people (including me) ask how a person, one person, play this.

Just seeing to believe.

She plays very well. That's a real performance with no mistakes, played by a real master. I want a girlfriend like her!

[jd7x7]

I am a huge admirer of Stephanie but this fugue should dance along like the stride she does so well, and with an 8' and 2' [much more fun than 4'].

[sqcomp1]

Too slow, too fast...call whatever speed she's playing artistic license. I enjoyed the heck out of it.

[theratsingers]

Excellent interpretation, very stable and relaxed. Just lose the mixtures. This should be Fonds 8'+4' and nothing more.

[PiggusVomitus]

this is the correct tempo, the little fugue was written to be played in 5½ minutes

[thewirlesswambat]

Its not refreshing to hear this at a slow tempo, the lines dont speak and the interpretation is lifeless. Stick to easier rep and play it with phrasing, articulation and a tempo slightly above this death march.

[ljude01]

technically it was perfect!! 

[bachkirche]

"An organ without trackers is like no organ at all".

[s0584333]

My brain would catch on fire if I could play that organ hands feet reading the sheet music and breathing all at the same time wow

[KhagarBalugrak]

It's too slow. A faster tempo is necessary to allow this piece to feel like it's going somewhere. Otherwise this is good, especially the choice of pitch for this piece, which is perfect; however, the slow, slow tempo really hampers the expression of this piece.

[MusicPredominates]

... there could be a little more ´breathing´ in the performance of this composition as well as a little ´plasticity´ - or at least more plasticity ... .

[vleyueiq]

Dear Stephanie...Whether it's Stride, Jazz piano, or the great classics on the organ...YOU EXCEL at every keyboard blessed with your touch. Add to that a warm and sincere personality...The world is yours!...For myself, just happy to be here and be a witness to your great talent...It's a priviledge: )

[twolefthanz]

@cbreemer. I would blame the instrument more than Steph. American organs do not have the delicacy to sound good with the way Bach is written. I can here you all screaming but I'm afraid it is true. American organs don't do quiet very well. I think her performance is very very good with the timing not wavering at all. I don't think the Koopman style is the way Bach was written.

[aknabea]

Whatever you play, it is exceptional! Thank you for all of your music.

[cbreemer]

It's a good and solid performance. Tempo is quite relaxed but not necessarily too slow. Registrations are good IMO but I agree with stoneba7, this is much too legato.

With such hefty registrations, one must play much more detached to avoid everything blurring together. It would sound infinitely better with just that little bit of air between the notes. That crisp baroque articulation is essential here.

[Benjaminwolf]

I wish I could have been there to hear this in person. Wonderful performance!

[tinroofbusted]

I like her tempo and played it last week during a time off at the church.

It wa slow and was well recived. sometimes fast or slow poeple appreciate this music as played by the player. love the music and by far the best yet on the tube

[hwoods01]

Wish she played the organ at our church..

[smcracraft]

Ok Stephanie, where's your recording of playing Widor's Toccata from the 5th Symphony for Organ?

We wanna hear and see!

--Stuart

P.S. Also, I'd like to see you playing Bach's St. Anne

Fugue in E-flat Major and the "Great" fugue in

A Minor. Last but not least, add the "Gigue" fugue

in G Major.

By the way, the above makes a good concert to perform

all together, perhaps with Mullet's Carrlion-Sortie and Gigout's Toccata.

[allegheny48]

Not only can she play ragtime like no other but she is also a fine organist. Maybe, in the future, she can give the mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ a try. I'll bet she would do just fine. Thanks for the concert Stephanie.

[chemprofmatt]

An excellent performance, although I would imagine that making an acceptable audio recording must be very tricky given the acoustics and the nature of the instrument. I thought the tempo was fine, although I like to play it faster in piano transcription. It seems to me that playing it any faster on organ would lead to an unacceptable amount of overlap with the lagging tones.

[hwoods01]

umm.. the piano did not EXIST when this was piece was written - so, your comments with respect to the piano - are moot.

[musicappreshs]

That's true, but many pieces written when modern instruments were not available have been adapted, no? And although there's a world of difference between the mechanisms of an organ and a piano, they can have similar effects (and much the same with even further unrelated instruments) :D This piece makes chills go up my spine to the top of my head.

[Handel3]

the Piano was made between 1709-1711

so ii was around when this music was written and Bach himself even played one

Just the cost so much to make and so few at the time !

[stoneba7]

I play in a very liver room like this, and don't have any trouble taking it faster than this. Her tempo is fine, a little slow in my taste, but it's her interpretation and she played it very well. If I had one gripe, it's that she didn't play with the articulate style. This is a very French Romantic sounding rendition of Bach. The North German Baroque style is much more crisp and clean, which would help in a room like that.

[hwoods01]

@stoneba7 well that's my problem with some organ music. At times, it seems to go so fast that I cant hear the contrast in the notes.. So I liked this very much.. Then again, I'm not a 'trained' organ master - I just like what I hear.

[Handel3]

Not true look for Ton Koopman playing it on here

on one of the great Dutch organs I think.

The Piano was made between 1709-1711

so ii was around when this music was written and Bach himself even played one

Just cost so much to make and so few at the time !

[woohooboohoo22]

idk anything bout the organ but i love this song

[cyberk25]

how come she seems to be slowing down? nice performance anyways tho

[epomerantz0]

stellar performance, this is one of those instruments I would get tied up in knots having 3 sets of keys plus the foot keys. Bravo

[cebukid70]

That was awesome! I loved it.

[michaelsmusicservice]

Whatever little spots she had, she has got a GREAT tempo. Most everyone else flies through and misses so much of the musical phrasing. Love that Rockefeller Skinner (plus a little Schantz).

[Eppoukoji]

Good Heavens! You play like Schweitzer!

God bless youand please, Ms Strick, cut a CD of you playing Bach. You are seriously good and seriously needed,.

[kierkegaardrulez]

Pretty good for sight reading. She needs to practice a bit more though and memorize the piece. She lost tempo and fumbled slightly a few times.

[codeman2008]

This being a recorded at a recital (see description) I highly doubt she's sight reading. Great performance... it's refreshing to hear this 1. at a slower tempo 2. without mixtures screaming so loud and high pitched it'll give you a headache! LOL

[theratsingers]

@codeman2008 as per 2: this piece's character suggests nothing more than fonds 8'+4', and this interpretation clearly features mixtures, when there should be none.

[steelersfanhawaii]

@codeman2008 Unlike North German organs, mixtures on Skinner organs (particularly EM Skinners - before G Donald Harrison came into the picture) provide 'lilt', only modest upperwork extension to the plenum. You will not find a Skinner mixture that 'screams', they blend very well with the remainder of the organ - Skinner definitely know what the heck he was doing with respect to tonality in his organs. Skinner organs are the best of the best - and they are truly AMERICAN!!!

[LordRaiden46]

como se llama ese estilo de musica?

[piperaceae1]

Es "Little Fugue in G minor" de Bach

[codeman2008]

La Fuga Pequeña en G Menor

That is right isn't it? Sorry for my Español!

[kokhlovsky]

AMAZING!!!

[aknabea]

The organ sounds wonderful.  Glad that it was restored and not scrapped or butchered!

[professorchrismartin]

Ha! I went to your website and saw you playing with Adam Yarian. Adam's a good friend of mine and used to come to me regularly for technical coaching. I'm working on the little fugue right now and came to YouTube to listen to the variety of interpretations.

What a small world!

[DonCuppe]

that was absolutely amazing!

[accousticdecay]

Very good!  Bravo!

[lokiangle]

holey shit that's awesome